Almost four decades have passed since the term femicide was coined in 1976. This new word had a political purpose, in that it intended to produce changes in the social order which tolerated the violent death of women. Since that time, the word has generated a theoretical concept that encompasses the killing of a woman as a specific social phenomenon. Femicide is an effort in sociological imagination that has been successful in transforming conventional perception, public awareness, scientific research and policy making. This article undertakes to review how femicide has evolved in social research. It analyses the most important theories explaining femicide: the feminist, sociological, criminological, human rights and decolonial research approaches and their theoretical significance. It discusses Mexico as a case study, exemplifying how a new English term was then translated into another language and applied in a very specific socio-political context, so that it became instrumental in changing reality and improving the lives of women. Finally, the article proposes a framework where femicide is understood as a social phenomenon that demands an interdisciplinary approach. The authors Downloaded from 2 Current Sociology recommend a systemic, multifaceted model in order to improve both scientific analysis and prevention.

Oral isotretinoin is effective in the clinical control of acne, but the relationship between this treatment and its psychosocial impact on the patient has not been completely clarified. The aim of this study was to determine if the use of oral isotretinoin in total accumulated doses of 120 mg/kg in a sample of 346 patients with moderate acne was useful in controlling symptoms of anxiety and/or depression and improving quality of life. A further objective was to ascertain the level of patient satisfaction with the treatment. After 30 weeks, there was a significant reduction in clinical symptoms (p < 0.001). The negative impact on quality of life, measured with the Dermatology Life Quality Index and the Health Survey Short-Form-36 (p < 0.001), showed a significant reduction, as did the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scores for anxiety (p < 0.001) and depression (p < 0.005). At the end of the study, the mean level of patient satisfaction with improvement of symptoms was 84.4%.

This paper deals with the influence of the therapeutic context in batterer intervention programs. We conducted 2 complementary studies: a descriptive analysis (Study 1) and a qualitative study (Study 2) analyzing the aspects that may help to improve the operation and effectiveness of treatment in a group of men (N = 27) who participated in a program for convicted perpetrators of intimate partner violence. The results show a statistically significant relationship between the therapeutic alliance and the assessment of the usefulness of the program attended by offenders (r = .69, p < .01), and between the therapeutic alliance and the assessment of the usefulness of the program content (r = .43, p < .05). Furthermore, the results of the qualitative analysis show that aspects of the therapeutic context may play an important role for the adhesion of offenders to treatment, increasing their motivation and improving results. It is proposed that future research should provide more in-depth analysis of the elements related to the context of the intervention and therapists' skills as facilitators of change.

La investigación de problemas sociales complejos como la violencia contra las mujeres dentro de la pareja obliga a buscar mecanismos de observación, análisis e interpretación que sean capaces de explicar acontecimientos ya sucedidos y de anticipar escenarios futuros. El objetivo de este artículo es analizar desde una perspectiva relacional, ecológica y sistémica de la violencia dentro de la pareja los discursos proporcionados por los hombres, las mujeres y los profesionales que intervienen. Para ello se ha planteado un estudio de carácter cualitativo en el que han participado 41 personas (9 víctimas, 18 agresores y 14 profesionales). Los resultados muestran a) la diversidad en las características de hombres y mujeres involucrados en situaciones violentas y en el tipo de relación que establecen, b) la percepción de los participantes del tratamiento diferenciado que las instituciones parecen otorgar a hombres y mujeres, c) la necesidad de revisar algunos de los procedimientos jurídicos y de intervención y d) la importancia de los estados emocionales y su influencia en los comportamientos de victimas, agresores y profesionales. Finalmente se plantean algunas propuestas dirigidas a mejorar los diseños de investigación y las estrategias de intervención.

A better understanding of the psychosocial impact of chronic itching could lead to improved intervention strategies. The aim of this study is to examine the prevalence and characteristics of chronic itching in dermatological patients. The Itch Severity Scale (ISS) was completed by a sample of 201 patients from a Dermatology Outpatient Clinic in Spain and 61.69% (n = 124) of participants recorded a positive score (X = 8.89, DT = 4.06). The results indicate that chronic itching has significant psychosocial repercussions. The Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) showed that the negative impact on quality of life was significantly greater for the group that experienced chronic itching (p < 0.001). Scores on the Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) revealed that the group with chronic itching had more symptoms associated with anxiety (p = 0.001). The Family APGAR found no statistically significant differences between the groups with regards to repercussions on the family dynamic.